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Cervical Disk Replacement Surgery

What is cervical disk replacement surgery?

Your cervical spine is made up of the 7 bones, called cervical vertebrae, stacked on top of each other forming the neck area. The cervical disks are the cushions that lie between the cervical vertebrae. They act as shock absorbers to allow your neck to move freely.

Your cervical spine also forms a protective tunnel for the upper part of your spinal cord to pass through. This part of your spinal cord contains the spinal nerves that supply your upper body with sensation and movement.

When the space between your vertebrae becomes too narrow, part of your vertebrae or your cervical disk can press on your spinal cord or spinal nerves, causing you pain, numbness, or weakness. When these symptoms do not respond to nonsurgical types of treatment, disk surgery may be recommended.

Cervical disk replacement surgery involves removing a diseased cervical disk and replacing it with an artificial disk. Before this procedure was available, the affected disk was removed and the vertebrae above and below were fused together to prevent motion

The use of an artificial disk to replace your natural cervical disk is a new type of treatment that has recently been approved by the FDA. Disk replacement surgery may have the advantage of allowing more movement and creating less stress on your remaining vertebrae than traditional cervical disk surgery.

Why is cervical disk replacement surgery needed?

Loss of space between your cervical vertebrae from cervical disk degeneration, or wear and tear, is common. Cervical disks begin to collapse and bulge with age; this happens to most people by age 60. But health care providers don’t know why some people have more symptoms from cervical disk degeneration than others.

Symptoms may include:

Neck pain

Neck stiffness

Headache

Pain that travels down into your shoulders or into your arms

Weakness of your shoulders, arms, hands, or legs

Numbness or "pins and needles" feeling in your arms

What are the risks of cervical disk replacement surgery?

While any surgery carries some risk, disk replacement surgery is a relatively safe procedure. Before you have surgery, you will need to sign a consent form that explains the risks and benefits of the surgery.

Disk replacement is a new type of spine surgery so there is little information on possible long-term risks and outcomes. Discuss with your surgeon the risks and benefits of disk replacement surgery compared with more traditional types of cervical spine surgery.

Some potential risks of cervical spine surgery include:

Reactions to the anesthesia

Bleeding

Infection

Nerve injury

Spinal fluid leak

Voice change

Stroke

Difficulty breathing

Difficulty swallowing

Failure to relieve symptoms

Broken or loosened artificial disk

Need for further surgery

There may be other risks, depending on your specific medical condition. Be sure to discuss any concerns with your surgeon before the procedure.

How do I get ready for cervical disk replacement surgery?

Ask your health care provider to tell you what you should do before your surgery. Below is a list of some common steps that you may be asked to do.

Tell your surgeon about any medications you take at home including herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications. You may be asked to stop taking aspirin or other medications that thin your blood and may increase bleeding.

Tell your surgeon if you or someone in your family has any history of reaction to general anesthesia.

If you smoke, you may be asked to stop smoking well before surgery and avoid smoking for a time after surgery.

Before surgery you will probably be given instructions on when to stop eating and drinking. It’s common to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight on the night before the procedure.

Ask your surgeon if you should take your regular medications with a small sip of water on the day of the procedure.

What happens during cervical disk replacement surgery?

Just before the procedure starts you will have an intravenous line (IV) started so you can receive fluids and medications to make you relaxed and sleepy. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia (you are asleep). Medication may be given through the IV to put you to sleep and a tube may be inserted in your throat to protect your airway and supplement your breathing. The actual procedure may last a few hours. This is what may happen once the procedure begins: